Hay-carrier apparatus



(No Model) W. LOUDEN. 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

HAY CARRIER APPARATUS No. 559,588. Patented May 5, 1896.

Juve?? of (No Model.) W LOUDEN 8 Sheets-Sheet, 2. HAY CARRIER APPARATUS.

Pa 1aed ANmmv GRAHAM. now-mno WASAINGTON UC (No Model.) W LOUDEN 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. v HAY CARRIER APPARATUS.

No. 559,588. Patented May 5, 1895.

NH.. Wwf/4 .C .2

WWA. A

ANDIEN B GRAHAM.PNCTBUTHlWASMNGTOh D C UNITED STATES PATENT @Erica WILLIAM IJOIIDE, OF FAIRFIELD, IOVA.

HAY-CARRIER APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,588, dated lVIay 5, 1896.

Application fled Tune I4, 1892. Serial No. 436,683. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM LOUDEN, of Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay- Carrier Apparatus; and I do herebyT declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in hay-carriers, the object of the invention being to produce a carrier constructed and arranged in such manner that an elevating-pulley can be automatically locked to the carrier and permitted to have a free swinging movement without coming into conflict with the carrier-pulleys or wed ging in the frame of the carrier.

A further objectis to produce an improved locking device which shall be automatic in operation, simple and compact in construction, and effectual in the performance of its functions.

"With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination and arrangements of part-s, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my improvements. Fig'. 2 is a sectional view on the line a: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line ly y of Fig. l and showing a suspendingbracket bolted to the track-rail. Fig. a is a separate view of the bracket. Fig. 5 is a separate .view of the elevating-pulley. Fig, 6 is a view, also on line y y of Fig. l, showing the carrier in engagement with the stop on the rail and the grappling-hooks in position to release the elevating-pulley. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the grappling devices.

A represents a wooden rail upon thc sides of which metallic trackways Z9 are secured. These trackways are preferably of rolledsteel angles, having holes at intervals in their vertical flanges, through which they are secured by bolts vto the rail, while the horizontal flanges project above the vertical flanges and form trackwaysfor the carrier-wheels to run ou, as shown in drawings. It is preferable that the trackways be secured to the rail a little below its longitudinal. center, so that the carrier-wheels will not extend much, if any, above it.

The track is supported from the rafters or other timbers of the building in which -it is used by means of brackets B, which are secured to said timbers and also at intervals to the rail A. These brackets, one of which is shown in Fig. 3, are provided with two curved wings d, projecting horizontally from the center, and have perforations a', through which they are fastened by nails or bolts to the rafters. To strengthen the bracket, which is made thin and light, a flange a is extended laterally from one side of its lower edge, and this flange is enlarged at the center. In said enlargement an elongated hole a2 is made for the passage of the bolt a3, which secures the bracket to the rail. By this means a light and yet strong track-suspending bracket is produced, and the bolt a3 will be free to swing sidewise to some extent in the elongated hole o2 and let the track swing sidewise, as may be required in operation. The rail A being secured directly to the bracket by means of the bolt a3, the track is very simply and cheaply suspended and is held closely up to the supporting-timbers.

The carrier C has side plates constituting its frame, between which the rope-wheels C are mounted, and above these Wheels the plates are joined together so as to form ropeguards I. Each of these side plates is provided with two upwardly-projecting arms c, which carry wheels C, adapted to run on the trackways b. These plates are also provided at their centers with inwardly-prejecting lugs d, between which locking-dogs D are pivoted so as to stand crosswise of the carrier-frame.

The bodies of the dogs D are horizontally disposed, and their ends extend out through openings in the sides of the carrier. The dogs are also provided with vertically-extending ends havingbeveled faces d', which in passing are adapted to be struck by the depending prongs e5 of the stop-plate e, which is secured to the under edge of the rail A, so as to raise the outer ends of said dogs.

Grapplin g devices E are pivoted near their centers in the frame of the carrier by means IOC of bolts or rods e, which pass longitudinally through outwardly-projecting lugs e2 on the carrier sides, so as to dispose the devices in vsubstantially a vertical position and to give them, and thus hold the carrier stationary on the track. Their lower ends are provided f with hooks F, which in turn are adapted to catch and hold the frame 'of the elevatingpulley G'. y

Near the central parts of the grappling devices are formed inwardly-projecting tongues f, which are adapted to be turned upwardly by the ascent of the elevating-pulley and thus release the forks e3 from the prongs e5 and at the same time bring the hooks F into engagement with the frame of the elevatingpulley. The grappling devices will be held in this, position by the outer ends of the dogs D dropping behind lips c on the devices above the points where they are pivoted. The carrier now being released from the stop on the track and the hooks4 F being locked to the frame of the elevating-pulley it will be free to traverse thertrack and will carry the load along with it. The carrier being returned to the stop, the ends of the forks c3 on the sides of the grappling devices approaching it will pass by the prongs e5. The prongs e5 will now strike the beveled faces d of the dogs D and 'will lift their outer ends from behind the lips e of the grappling devices E, which will permit their forked ends e3 to move inwardly an d catch the prongs e5 between them and hold the carrierstationary on the track, while their hooks F will move outward and release the pulley-frame. To assist in this movement, springs G2 may be applied so that one end will bear against the carrier-frame and the other againstthe grappling device. The outer faces e4 of the forks esmay also be made divergent or beveled, so as to slip more readily around the stop-prongs e5 and permit the forks to catch against them.

The tongues f of the grappling devices E are made with forked ends f2, so asto lap on each other and communicate the movement of the one to the other. One of the forks-j'2 on each of the tonguesf is upwardly inclined, whilethe other one is downwardly inclined. The upwardly-inclined fork on each tongue will catch over the downwardly-inclinedl fork on the opposite tongue, while the downwardlyinclined fork will catch under the opposite upwardly-inclined fork, and the grappling devices by this arrangement will always move 111 UDISOH.

The side plates of the carrier-frame are provided with recesses 71., into whichr the hooks F passwhen released from the pulley-frame, thus protecting the hooks and forming resting-places for them. The dogs Dare also fitted withl extended heels f', so that in case they should fail of their own gravity to drop behind the lips e the tongues f will strike the heels f and force the dogs into position.

The frame of the carrier is made so as to form a throat H in its center, substantially in the shape of the main part of the pulleyframe G in horizontal section and large enough to admit the upper part of the pulley-frame. At the ends of the throat on each side are shoulders yi, which extend inwardly at substantially right angles from the sides of the throat to a point even with or a little beyond the sides. of the rope-wheels C. These l shoulders form abutments against which thc edges of the pulley-frame G may rest when it enters the throat H. The upper part of the pulley-frame is made circular in form, and on each side is provided; with lips Z,which are concentric with the periphery of the pulley G. Then these lips lare in engagement with the hooks F, asV already described, the

pulley-frame will be free to swing longitudinally on the. hooks toa considerable extent,

and it will be held by the shoulders kfz from striking the rope-wheels G or wedging fast in the frame of the carrier.

The entire apparatus is very simple and compact in construction, easy to manipulate, f

and effectual in the performance of its functions. The locking-dogs being pivoted to operate at right angles to the track and being mainly disposed horizontally take up very little room below the track, and therefore the elevating-pulley can be drawn up with its' load closer to the track than can be done with carriers of common construction.

The space occupied by the vertical parts of the locking-dogs is mostly compensated for il by the opening between the prongs e5, between which the vertical ends are adapted to pass. The rope-guards l can also be set closer up to the track and the rope-wheels C set higher up, on account of the open space r through the center of the track-stop.

The carrier is designed to operate in either direction along the track from the stop e6, and when power is applied tovone end of the rope the other end is made fast to the carrier by tying a knot in it, or by other means well known to those skilled in the art. The object of making the upper ends of the grappling devices forked is not` only to enable them to operate in either direction from the z center of said flange, said enlargement having an elongated hole therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A track-stop-having a depending prong` on each edgein combination with grapplinghooks adapted to engage an elevating-pulley, and locking-dogs, having vertical ends and pivoted to swing at right angles to the carrier-track and engage the grappling-hooks, said vertical ends being adapted to be struck by the depending prongs of the stop to release the grappling hooks, substantially as set forth.

3. A stop secured to the lower edge of the track and having prongs on its edges, in combination with a carrier having suitable lock mechanism to engage the stop and a ropeguard on its frame adapted to pass between said prongs, substantially for the purpose set forth. A

4. Grappling-hooks pivoted in the sides of the carrier-frame, in a substantially vertical position, so as to engage the frame of the elevating-pulley, in combination with dogs to lock said hooks in engagement with said pulley-frame, and a stop to release the dogs, said dogs being pivoted to move at right anglesto the track, and their bodies being disposed in a substantially horizontal position.

5. A pair of grappling devices pivoted in the sides of the carrier-frame so as to stand in a substantially vertical position and have movement at right angles to the carrier-track, the lower ends of said grappling devices being adapted to engage and support a pulleyblock, and their upper ends to engage a stop and hold the carrier stationary on the track, and dogs to hold said grappling devices so that their upper ends will be released from the stop and their lower ends locked to the pulley-block, substantially as set forth.

6. Grappling devices pivoted in the sides of the carrier-frame in a substantially vertical position, so as to have movement at right angles to the track, their upper ends being forked to catch a stop on the track, their lower ends hooked to engage the `frame of the elevating-pulley, and dogs to hold said grappling devices released from the stop and locked in engagement with the pulley-frame.

7. The combination with a carrier-frame havin g a throat therein, of grappling devices pivoted at each side of the throat, said grappling devices having hooks at their lower ends adapted to engage the frame of the elevatingpulley, upwardly-cxtending arms adapted to catch on a stop on the track and tongues extending inwardly across the throat of the carrier, adapted to be struck by the elevatingpulley so as to release the arms from the stop and to bring the hooks into engagement with the frame of the pulley, and dogs to lock the grappling devices in this position, substantially as set forth.

S. The combination with a track and stops projecting therefrom, of a carrier, grappling devices pivoted thereto, said grappling devices each having a pair of upwardly-projecting arms, and dogs lying between these upwardly-projecting arms in position to be struck by the stops and release the grappling devices, the arms on the grappling devices being adapted to straddle the stops when released by the dogs, substantially as set forth.

l 9. The combination with a track and a stop thereon, of a carrier, grappling devices pivoted thereto and adapted to engage said stop, said grappling devices having inwardly-projecting tongues, a pulley-frame adapted to strike said tongues, dogs pivoted between said grappling devices to effect their locking to the pulley-frame, said dogs being provided with elongated heels adapted to be struck by the tongues, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination of a carrier having a throat therein, grappling devices pivoted in the sides of the carrier, and having forked tongues extended inwardly across the throat of the carrier so as to catch on each other and communicate movement,one to the other, and a pulley-frame adapted to strike said tongues, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

1l. The combination of a hay-carrier having a throat therein, a pulley-frame adapted to enter the throat and be locked to the carrier, said throat being provided with shoulders forming abutments for the pulley-frame, and the pulley-frame being adapted to rest against said abutments and swing in said throat, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VILLIAM LOUDEN.

lVitnesses:

VERMoNr Psrrv, C. J. FULTON. 

